We remember vividly how great the disappointment was when we first heard that the Galaxy S24 Ultra no longer has a 10x zoom camera. Instead, Samsung will use a 5x zoom. But there is no need to grieve, according to published presentation material.
Because, according to Android Headlines, the quality that Samsung manages to squeeze out of the 5x optical zoom of the Galaxy S24 Ultra is equal in quality to 10x optical zoom. As mentioned in the presentation below: "50MP - 5x Optical Zoom & 10x Optical Quality Zoom." So, maybe we don't have the lens, but we do have the quality.
It is unclear how Samsung manages to do this exactly. The large size of the sensor may be the answer. Another possibility is that other camera sensors help out. A third possibility is that the image is upscaled by using AI. Either way, it's good news that we can still use 10x zoom. Just like back in the day with the S23 Ultra.
First rumours
The first rumours about a downgrade of the S24 Ultra telephoto camera date back to September 2023. Back then, @UniverseIce reported that Samsung would trade in the 10x optical zoom camera. Later, it would become apparent for a 5x one. This is more in line with what Apple does with its Pro Max models and is more practical for every-day use. Still, much criticism arose since the Ultra's zoom range sets it apart from the competition.
For the Galaxy S24 Ultra Samsung seems to settled for 1x, 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x and 100x zoom. The 1x, 2x, 3x, and 5x zoom levels are optical; the rest is done digitally. Of which the 10x zoom is similar in quality to optical zooming. Samsung uses 200, 50, 12, and 10-megapixel cameras.
